


Thirty-Two and A Third

by xviichapters



Series: The Quiet World [1]
Category: SEVENTEEN (Band)
Genre: Alternate Universe - Non-Famous, Fluff, Inspired by Poetry, M/M, Read if you wanna feel happy
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2016-11-07
Updated: 2016-11-07
Packaged: 2018-08-29 16:25:42
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 891
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/8497072
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/xviichapters/pseuds/xviichapters
Summary: Long-distance lovers Joshua and Seungcheol in a world where people can only speak one hundred and sixty-seven words a day.





	

**Author's Note:**

> Inspired by: "The Quiet World" by Jeffrey McDaniel

 

The first thing Joshua did when he woke up was to check the counter on his wrist. He did this absentmindedly most mornings, but today he wanted to make sure. One hundred and sixty-seven. Joshua nodded, satisfied. Good, he had all of them. Sometimes he would wake up to find that the numbers had gone down during the night, a sign that he had been talking in his sleep again. But last night he made sure to go to bed early so he would have a peaceful sleep, and sure enough he hadn’t stirred at all.

He got ready for work, tightening his tie in the mirror and instantly missing how Seungcheol would insist on doing it for him, even if the older man wasn’t any good at it. Joshua would laugh and Seungcheol would pout, bottom lip jutting out in a way that was impossible for Joshua not to kiss. Then they would walk to the subway and go off to their separate jobs.

Joshua missed it. Joshua missed _him_ with an aching in his heart and hollowness in his stomach. He quickly grabbed the rest of his things and headed out the door. _Just a few more months,_ he tried to cheer himself. Until then Joshua would just have to tie his own tie.

He rode the elevator down to avoid the neighbours who were chatty by nature and liked to exchange hellos, despite the new rules. Normally he didn’t mind but Joshua couldn’t afford to lose many words today. At the lobby he smiled at the doorman in greeting.

“Not today?” the elderly man couldn’t help but ask good-naturedly. Joshua grinned in response, shaking his head. He watched from the corner of his eye as the old man’s counter went down by two.

“Must be saving them for someone special.” Again the numbers on the doorman’s wrist decreased and Joshua decided it was time for him to go before the old man talked himself out of words. Joshua gave another grin then winked, leaving the old man laughing after him.

Laughter wasn’t counted as words. Laughing was _sound_ as decreed by law, just like how clapping was sound or leaves crunching crisply underfoot was sound.

Joshua hummed softly as he walked the sunny path to work, cars zooming past and the steady footfall of shoes on concrete echoing down the street. Although the new order had decreed that people could only speak a maximum of One-Hundred and Sixty-Seven words per day, that didn’t mean the world was entirely quiet. It just meant there was less nonsensical chatter, less careless words being flung around as people said things they didn’t mean. Profanities were rare – what a pointless waste of words. The news only broadcasted what was important – none of that celebrity gossip or tabloid headlines.

Personally Joshua loved it. Everyone was so much _kinder_ now; less angry. The air was only ever filled with good sounds like children laughing and birds chirping. The only downside was that Joshua would never have enough words to tell Seungcheol how much he meant to him, especially now when they were both so far apart.

At work Joshua only spoke when spoken to, and left all the long messages on post-it notes or emails. When the phone rang, he put his ear to it without saying hello. In the restaurant, he pointed at the chicken noodle soup.

If Seungcheol were here he would tease him.  “Just say it,” the older would egg. “You love saying the word chicken. Chicken, chicken, chicken.” Joshua had just laughed and said, “But I like the words “I love you” more, especially when I tell them to you.” Seungcheol had rolled his eyes. “Sweet talker,” he accused, but kissed Joshua all the same.

Joshua had written a song for him once, by piecing together snippets of his singing on different days into an entire melody. It had taken months but it was worth it when Seungcheol looked at him with such love and tears in his eyes after hearing it for the first time. That day, Joshua had wanted nothing more than to fly home immediately and be held in his arms.

“Soon,” Seungcheol had said over the Skype call, “You’ll be home soon.”

But for now he was in L.A., a thousand miles away.

The work day dragged to a close. He rushed home, barely sparing a smile for the new doorman on shift and practically sprinted up the stairs. He showered and ate dinner quickly, anxious that he might miss the small window of time Seungcheol said he would be free for for tonight. At exactly 23:00, Joshua called the other boy and proudly said, “I only used fifty-nine today. I saved the rest for you.”

When there was no reply, he knew Seungcheol’s used up all his words and the younger couldn’t help but laugh. Seungcheol had never been the patient type; he always used up his words too fast, even when he tried to save them. A soft, sheepish chuckle came across from the other end. Joshua heard an apology in it, as well as the older boy’s unspoken guilt which he longed to soothe away.

So Joshua slowly whispered, “I love you” thirty-two and a third times, after which they just sat on the line and listened to each other breathe.


End file.
